De la Espriella calls for combating crime at the local level: "I will not engage in dialogue with terrorism"

Abelardo de la Espriella, identified in reports as the president of Colombia, has called upon mayors and regional entities to actively combat crime at the local level. Urging authorities not to grow accustomed to living with persistent problems, he emphasized a hardline stance on security by declaring that he will not negotiate with terrorism.

In concurrent developments, Pope León XIV held a telephone conversation with President de la Espriella to reiterate his closeness to the South American nation. During the call, the pontiff expressed solidarity with Colombia following a 7.4 magnitude earthquake that struck the central and southwestern regions of the country approximately three weeks prior.